About Me
Playing at Block Party in Madison, WI
Hello Everyone,
Patrick Brenner here. I hope you all enjoy the instructional material presented on SteelGuitarAcademy.com. The aim of the site is to be an all-in-one resource for the beginner steel guitarist. Anyway, a bit about myself:
Playing at the Rodeo of Lake County Fair
I've been playing Pedal Steel Guitar since 2002 and non-pedal steel since 2010. In addition to steel guitar, I play banjo, piano, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, ukelele, bass, etc. I started learning piano at age 5 and guitar at age 10 and then started to teach in 1999 at age 17. I taught guitar from 1999 until 2010. I started teaching Steel Guitar in 2010. I have also taught Banjo since 2020. Having learned and taught multiple instruments, I have seen both what works and what doesn't. I have fine-tuned my program over the years and can say that it is a very effective method. I have had thousands of lessons over the years and all the students have great success in my program.
I have published 2 books for the pedal steel guitar, a Chord Dictionary and a Scale Dictionary. These are some of the most comprehensive reference books created for the pedal steel. I also have developed thousands of lessons plans, diagrams, videos, etc. I intend to assemble all of this into a unique method that can be a resource for all students.
I also do repairs and setups on pedals steels. I have been doing this work since 2015 and have many satisfied customers. People have travelled from all over the country to have their instruments inspected and repaired at my shop in Antioch, IL. It gives me great joy reviving old forgotten pedal steels and making them run like new.
Currently, I play with multiple groups. I play steel guitar with the Westerlees and also with the Bamboo Babies. I play Pedal Steel Guitar with the Ramblin' Kind and The Gin Palace Jesters. I play Tenor Banjo with Sweet Sheiks and the West End Jazz Band. I'm always down to play with other bands as well if I can find the time, so send me an email if you're in a band in the Chicago or Milwaukee area and need some steel or tenor banjo.
With the Westerlees at Model A Fest in Sharon, WI
Here are some links to some of the bands I have been working with recently:
This is a 1930's western swing project that I started in 2014. I sing and play for the group. In this group, I mostly play a 7-string 1936 Epiphone Electar, tuned to C6. I also occasionally play a 1938 Gibson Console Grande and a 1953 Fender Custom Triple Neck for this project. I play banjo in this group from time to time as well.
With the Westerlees in Twin Lakes, WI
The Ramblin' Kind is a classic country group and specializes in music from the 1940s through 1990s. They have originals as well. I play pedal steel with this group and sing a few tunes as well. I play a double neck Sho Bud Super Pro with E9 on the front neck and a custom lap steel universal tuning on the rear neck.
With the Ramblin' Kind in Lake Mills, WI
This is a relatively new project. The Bamboo Babies is a hawaiian steel guitar centered group. It is made up of String Bass, Bari Uke, Uke and Steel Guitar. I sing in this group and play many instrumentals. The reperatoire is mostly 1920s and earlier hawaiian music. I play a tricone resonator steel guitar in this group and also a 6-string 1937 Rickenbacher Electro, both tuned to A Major tuning.
With the Bamboo Babies in Kenosha, WI
Gin Palace Jesters is a Chicago-based country and western group that plays mostly 1950s and 1960s era music and also originals in the style of that era. They have been around for decades and have one of the most entertaining live shows you will see. I play a double neck Sho Bud Super Pro with E9 on the front neck and a custom lap steel universal tuning on the rear neck.
With the Gin Palace Jesters in Huntley, IL
As mentioned above, I play tenor banjor for a few groups as well. The Sweet Sheiks is one of those. They play mostly 1920s jazz era tunes with a modern New Orleans street band twist. I sing in this group on a few tunes as well.
With the Sweet Sheiks in Milwaukee, WI
Formerly, I've played with the rockabilly and western swing group Pearls Mahone. I also used to play with the alt-country group Disregarded Stars and the Brothers Goforth.
I've also played and recorded for numerous other groups over the years.
Playing with the
Disregarded Stars at the Brat Stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Playing with Pearls
Mahone at Martyrs in Chicago
If you live in the Chicago or Milwaukee area, you can take private lessons from me.
If you are not in the Chicago area, you may want to try Online video lessons too:
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HISTORY
CONSTRUCTION
TUNING
COPEDENTS
LEGEND
NOTATION
BEGINNERS
SCALES
DYADS
CHORDS
COMPOSITION
IMPROV
TECHNIQUES
EXERCISES
CLASSICS
TIMELINE